Better Than A Harsh Reality
by RR-Forever
Summary: She could feel everybody's eyes on her. "This is it." she thought, "Two simple words." She closed her eyes, trying to gather the courage she'd need to say those words. "I…I…" She turned her head to look at the empty seat, hoping it would somehow give her the strength she needed. Instead she was surprised to see it was occupied. "No, this can't be." Elsanna


Hi there!

WARNING: Major character death and incest.

Enjoy reading! I really hope you'll like it.  
Don't forget to review!  
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The sky was bright blue, not a cloud to be seen and the sun was shining brightly, warming the cobblestones of empty streets. Shops were closed and the normally lively taverns were lacking any sign of life. All the people of Arendelle were gathered in the church for the royal wedding between Queen Anna of Arendelle and the royal ice harvester, Kristoff. Excited chatter reverberated through the enormous nave. Kristoff was standing at the altar, waiting for the doors to open and reveal his soon-to-be-wife. He was wearing black pants, a white collar shirt and a black vest. He looked around the room. The amount of people that had shown up surprised him. There wasn't a single seat left. He could hear the people outside who hadn't been lucky enough to seize a seat inside.  
His eyes fell on the only empty seat left. It was on the front row, next to the aisle. There was a red velvet cushion places to make the wooden seat more comfortable. Anna had insisted on it. Arguing that Elsa deserved nothing but the best on this special day. No one dared to point out to the queen that the seat would remain vacant. The death of her sister was still a touchy subject for the redhead. It had definitely changed her. The free-spirited, optimistic princess had been replaced by a reserved, serious queen. She was a good queen. The people loved her, but the princess they once knew was long gone.

The priest signaled everyone to be quiet and soon enough the organ started playing. Slowly the doors opened. In the doorway stood Anna. She was dressed in a beautiful, white dress. There were no sleeves, leaving her shoulders bare. She was wearing long white gloves that reached her elbows and her hair was done in an updo. She took a deep breath and put on a smile. With slow and small steps she made her way to the altar. Soft murmuring could be heard amongst the crowd. Everyone was in awe of the queen's beauty. Anna ignored them and kept looking straight ahead at Kristoff. She purposely ignored the voice in her head telling her to turn around. _I can do this. I have to do this. You owe it to the people, to Kristoff.  
_ She kept walking, only sparring a brief glance at Elsa's seat. It was enough to bring tears to her eyes and her heart dropped. She paused briefly in her movements to take a breath before continuing. She took the last two steps, careful not to trip over her dress. She was standing before Kristoff now. He gave her a bright smile she couldn't return. She could see in his eyes how happy he was.  
"You look absolutely perfect." He whispered.  
She swallowed the lump in her throat at hearing these words from Kristoff, her best friend. He offered her his arm and she hesitantly took it, focusing her attention on the priest.  
"Please, start." She said politely.  
He gave a short nod. He opened his arms wide and spoke: "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…"  
She tuned him out. She couldn't bear to hear it. All she could think about was her dear sister.

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"…and do you, Anna of Arendelle, take Kristoff Bjorman to be your lawfully wedded husband?"  
She could feel everybody's eyes on her. _This is it. Two simple words._ She closed her eyes, trying to gather the courage she'd need to say those words.  
"I…I…" She turned her head to look at the empty seat, hoping it would somehow give her the strength she needed. Instead she was surprised to see it was occupied. _No, this can't be._ She blinked her eyes. No, she was really there. Sitting in the previously empty seat was her sister. Her hair was in its signature braid, draped over her left shoulder. She was wearing one of her beautiful ice dresses. Her legs were crossed and her hands clasped together. She gave Anna an encouraging smile.  
"Elsa?" She whispered in disbelief.  
Her sister gave a short wave.  
Anna could only stare. Her sister, her beloved sister, was sitting there. As if nothing had ever changed. As if she'd never left.  
"Psst, Anna, is everything alright?" Kristoff whispered.  
Her head snapped back to look at him. "Huh?"  
"You were whispering your sister's name. Are you alright?" He asked concerned.  
She glanced at Elsa again. "Never better." She said with a smile. "I'm very sorry, but I have to go."  
"Go? Go where? This is our wedding!" He hissed thoroughly confused.  
She ignored him and rushed towards Elsa, who was already waiting for her, hand outstretched. She reached for her hand and intertwined their fingers. The cold that rushed through her veins as their skin touched filled her with comfort and for the first time in five years she felt peace in her heart and mind again.  
"I knew you'd come back for me." She whispered to her sister and squeezed her hand.  
"Who are you talking to?" Kristoff asked bewildered.  
She once again tore her eyes away from her sister to look at Kristoff, who was still standing at the altar.  
"Isn't obvious? To Elsa of course!" She replied happily.  
She could hear the people gasp. Kristoff seemed taken aback by this response. His eyes shot through the room. "Anna…" he began carefully, "Elsa's not here."  
"What are you talking about? Of course she is! I'm holding her hand."  
The crowd murmured in dismay.  
"You're really not." he slowly made his way to her, "Elsa's gone remember? You were with her when she… you know… when she passed away."  
Tears welled up in her eyes. "How can you say these things!" She turned to Elsa for support, but where her sister once stood , tall and proud, was nothing and her warm fingers, which were previously intertwined with Elsa's cold ones, were grasping thin air.  
"I… I don't understand. She was h-here. I saw her!" She turned to Kristoff in desperation, tears welling up in her eyes. "What is h-happening?"  
Kristoff looked just as lost as her. "I don't know. Maybe… maybe we should postpone this."  
She hastily nodded. "I'm going to… I'm going to get some fresh air."  
Ignoring the stares people were giving her, she rushed down the aisle.

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Somehow she ended up in front of Elsa's room. The paint was scaling off the door. She hadn't been in this part of the castle since her sister's passing. The memories too painful. She never expected to find herself in this situation again. In front of a closed door without any guarantee if it would open for her, welcome her, if she were to try.  
She placed her hand on the doorknob and gently pushed it down. The door opened with a loud creak and revealed the abandoned room behind it. She took in every inch of the room. Everything was still the same as she remembered. The bed was made, documents were neatly stacked, an empty teacup was standing in the corner of the desk. If it weren't for the thick layer of dust, she'd almost thing this room was still occupied. Even the chair she'd sat on to keep her sister company during the last few weeks of her short life hadn't moved an inch. A book was laying open on the nightstand. It had been her sister's favorite book. Anna had never heard of it, but every day she would read a chapter to her sister. There was only one more chapter left.

Her eyes shifted to the large triangular window. Her breath stocked just a second as she saw the figure standing in front of it, looking out at the gardens below and watching the falling leaves dance in the wind.  
"Elsa?" she asked uncertain, "Is that really you?"  
At the sound of her voice the gorgeous woman turned around, a smile on her face. "It is."  
Her sister's voice felt like pure silk.  
She reached her hand out. "Come, I've missed you."  
Anna hesitantly took a step into the room  
"Close the door. I don't want anyone intruding on our time together."  
She nodded absentmindedly and with a soft thud the door fell in its lock. Not wanting to waste any more time she ran the short distance that separated her from her sweet sister. She flew the platinum blonde's arms, wrapping her arms around her neck. Elsa's arms immediately circled around her waist, pressing their bodies even closer.  
The scent of all things Elsa filled her senses and she let the tears she'd been suppressing flow freely down her cheeks.  
"I've missed you so much." She whispered between sobs against Elsa's neck.  
"I'm sorry Anna. I'm so sorry I left you alone." She whispered back, pressing a kiss to her forehead.  
"I forgive you Elsa. You're here now."  
There was no telling how long they stood there, holding each other, cherishing each other. By the time they were ready to let go Anna didn't have any tears left.  
Elsa gently gave her a soft push. "Let me see you."  
The redhead took a step back, spinning around to show Elsa her dress.  
her sister's eyes roamed over her body, taking in every single detail. Their eyes met and the intensity of love and adoration with which Elsa's eyes shone took her breath away.  
"So, what do you think?" She asked shyly when her sister still didn't speak up.  
"You look absolutely perfect." She breathed.  
The redhead blushed. "Thank you. For all the wrong reasons though. It should have been you standing at the altar.  
"I know and I'm so sorry." Her sister's replied sadly.  
"It's not your fault." She reassured her.  
Elsa smiled gratefully.

The redhead pulled the former queen towards the bed. "Come on, we have lots of catching up to do."  
Her sister raised an eyebrow.  
"Not that kind of catching up you stinker!" Anna playfully slapped her sister. Her sister laughed and let herself be pulled on the bed. They made themselves comfortable on the mattress and turned on their sides, facing each other. Anna started chatting away. Telling her all about her struggles as queen, the blunders she'd made when she first started and the boring tasks that filled her day. She couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed this much. Elsa really did bring the best out of her. With one hand she traced the outlines of Elsa's face. She couldn't believe her sister was really here. Suddenly realization dawned on her. She had run away from her wedding. The thought of marrying made her stomach drop. "I can't do it Elsa. I can't marry Kristoff. I know I promised I'd let go of you and move on, but I can't. I'm sorry. I love you. I could never be happy with him. My heart beats for you alone."  
The regret and sorrow she saw in Elsa's eyes broke her heart a little more.  
"I'm sorry Anna. I'm sorry that I couldn't be there for you any longer. I wish we would have had more time together. It breaks my heart to see you like this, knowing I'm the cause of it."  
"It's not your fault Elsa. You're here now and that's what matters. Tomorrow I will call off the wedding." She decided.  
Her sister looked at her worried. "I still won't be able to marry you, you know that, right?"  
Anna smiled bitterly. "I know, but I don't want to get married, unless it's with you. And I certainly won't marry just to fulfill people's expectations. I realize that now."  
"I'm glad. You've always been so selfless, so kind. Sometimes I worried you'd forget yourself."  
"You shouldn't worry Elsa. I can take care of myself."  
Elsa smiled at her and gave her a chaste kiss. "I'll always worry about you."  
Anna's heart swelled with love. _She still worries about me. Maybe she never did leave me._

As much as she loved talking with Elsa, she couldn't help the nagging feeling in the back of her head telling her that maybe, just maybe, something was off.  
"Elsa… am I crazy?" She asked uncertainly.  
"Oh sweetie, of course not." She stroked the redhead's cheek.  
"Then why are you here? Why am I the only one who can see you? Kristoff looked at me as if I was crazy."  
Her smile fell. "I think you know the answer to that question."  
"You're not really here, are you." It felt as if she'd lost her sister all over again. The pain was crushing her heart and once again she couldn't help the tears streaming down her face.  
"Hey, hey, don't cry." she gently wiped away the tears from her sister's cheek. "Just because others can't see me doesn't mean I'm not here. What matters is what you believe."  
"I… I don't know what to believe anymore. You died. How… how can you possibly be alive again?"  
"Shall I tell you a secret?" Anna nodded. "You've kept me alive." after seeing her confused face she quickly added, "Not physically, I most certainly died, but you've kept me alive in your heart. And now I've become a fabrication of your mind."  
"So, this is all in my head?" Her brows furrowed.  
"What do you think?"  
"This all seems too real. I held your hand and it was cold, I've hugged you. That can't all have been my head playing tricks on me." She went quiet and pondered on her sister's words. "It doesn't matter anyway. I don't care how you're here. I'm just happy to have my sister back."  
"I'm never going to leave you again. I promise."  
Anna beamed at her. "You'd better not."  
She leaned forward and pressed her lips against her sister's. Elsa eagerly kissed back and Anna let out a soft moan. It felt just as wonderful as five years ago. When she pulled back she looked at Elsa, taking in every detail. She looked exactly like she remembered, only slightly older and with a few more freckles on her cheeks. Those small, insignificant details made her heart skip a beat. They convinced her that, yes, this really was her sister and not some weird fantasy.

She reached over Elsa to grab the book from the nightstand. "You know, I've always wondered what happened to Heathcliff."  
Elsa raised her eyebrows. "Let's find out, shall we?"  
She moved closer to Elsa and let her head rest on her chest. Immediately her sister's hand started stroking her head. She hummed in satisfaction.  
Opening the book on the last chapter, she read out loud: "For some days after that evening, Mr Heathcliff shunned meeting us at meals…"

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Thank you very much for reading! I hope it wasn't all too crazy and sad.  
Obviously Elsa's favorite book is Wuthering Heights. I have no idea if it even existed back then, but it is actually one of my favorite books and I thought it'd fit well with this story.

The title is part of a quote.  
A pleasant illusion is better than a harsh reality - Christian Nevell Bovee

Please review! You would really make my day!

Until we meet again!

RR-Forever


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